The amazing 6th sense of dogs.. Earthquake alarm (barks, shaking, doxie)

[Threerun]

So I was away from the house last night at a function in town. When I got home around 9p.m. my wife said that our male German Shorthair went completely bonkers close to 7:15- barked, ran from door to door, scratched at the door, barked and barked.. My wife went to look outside (we are rural)- no one in the driveway, no coyotes howling outside- dead quiet.

She said he kept it up for almost 20 minutes or more.

So today I read the news. Small earthquake rattles Helena Valley - KXLH.com | Helena, Montana

A 3.4 quake hit about 10 miles west of us at 7:26p.m.- and it appears the wave went generally in our direction.

My wife said she didn't feel it.

Due to the timing of the quake and the fact my dog normally doesn't go berserk without cause- I'd say he sensed it and sounded the alarm. Pretty amazing.

[luv4horses]

I wonder if there are any associated high pitch noises with a quake?

Edited: Well I looked it up and don't you know, there are special sound waves. This gives reference to a scientific paper and explains it more generally: https://www.why.is/svar.php?id=4825

[MyNameIsBellaMia]

My dog, until recently, has given me about 2 hours warning of a quake and about 1 hour warning of a thunderstorm. She'll hide behind anything or even get in the shower stall, quivering like she's having a seizure.


I believe they feel things rather than hear things.


She's older and wiser now, and even though she still is very afraid, she takes things more in stride. But there was a time she was a far better warning system than the experts on TV.

[nightbird47]

Our dogs always could tell, out in California, and the behavior was distinctive. They reacted earliest to the big quakes, and especially when we'd get a lot if the dog was acting nervous and very attentive, to take warning.

When small quakes happen they'll just freeze and stare and when the shaking starts, bark loudly. They'll also seek out their people who might be asleep to wake them.

I noticed my big dog knows when anyone is walking in front of or on the side of the house, and he waits until it get closer before he goes into bark mode. I sometimes sleep during the day, and leave him out in the living room. If someone comes to the door, he barks. They depart.

But there was one time he didn't just bark, but was going bannannas. When he finished I looked but nobody was around. I heard later someone was checking out windows and doors on houses.

Dogs have amazing senses. When something alarms my dog, he'll go around and try herding the cats together so he can keep an eye on them too. He's a shepard/something similar mix and just amazing.

The smaller dogs I've had are just as determined. One of the Gumby's was a small sheltie and he was especially sensitive to nature. He'd go bedroom to bedroom and wake everyone up if there was a storm or he felt a quake.

All the gumby's have been good warning dogs. That's two shelties, two cockers, one a mix, and Little Gumby who was a mix with maybe a doxie? The current one is much much bigger but looks like the smallest one in giant size. All good warners.

[Lovehound]

I think it's more sense of feel, not hearing. Dogs of course can hear higher frequencies than humans, but I doubt they can hear lower frequencies characteristic of earthquakes.

What it is, they feel the slight shaking that precedes the stronger shaking.

Meanwhile the humans are watching TV or playing computer game. Dogs don't have anything to distract them -- except cats and squirrels and other dogs.